The Demon's Apprentice
by The Crone's Daughter
Summary: A story about Toby when he was growing up and his life with Mrs.Lovett. REDO
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is my second fan-fic, derived from the amazing movie Sweeny Todd. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

The smoke from the chimneys made the London sky look bleaker than usual. A gaunt looking woman holding hands with a meek and pale boy walk down a dirty alley.

"Mum, 'here are we going?" asked the boy. Tear stains were on his face, a torn and bloody knee smarted deeply. "Y-you know, we h-have been liv-ing on th-the streets for awhile. I know h-how hard it is f-f-for you, and t-that's w-why mummy's going to m-make it better."

She gave a toothless grin at the boy, eyes hazy from the vast amounts of opium she drinks. Her eyes focused on his injury, the smile now a grim frown. "I am sorry about t-the injury, b-but y-you know n-not to wake up my c-customers when t-they sleeping, they get v-violent and hurt y-you s-so…" the woman's eyes fill with tears as she remembers the horrors her clients inflicted on to her precious son.

She wants to push them away, to break their legs and shatter their ribcages in two. But she knows she can't, for they pay so generously for her body, she can actually give her son a warm meal for the day, even a week for most.

"That's ok mum; for you know, no one will hurt when I'm around. Isn't that right?" the boy whispered to is mum, squeezing her cold hand tightly.

"Yes, y-yes that's right. Y-you're my little a-angel," the mother sang to the boy. The pair arrived in front of the Thames River, thick and sluggish from all the sewage in it. The woman embraced the boy in an unyielding hug, and grabbed his shoulders steadfastly. "I-I want y-you to know T-Toby, that I love y-you a w-whole lot…ok. Just Remember t-that," the woman whispered in his ear.

Toby beamed a huge smile on his face, "O 'course mum, why wouldn't forget that?"

"That's g-good, s-such a good b-boy; t-to bad his life w–was so short…" she muttered to herself. Toby frowned, "What are you-!"

Toby felt the cold water pierce his body like glass daggers. The woman's hands held him down as he began to take on water, his vision beginning to blur. He opened his mouth to scream, but only swallowed more water. His limbs began to leaden, movements more lethargic. He barely felt the woman release him as he lost conciseness, black was all he saw…

The woman sighed, relived that someone could now take proper care of her son. "Don't w-worry Toby, Mummy's going to find you as soon as she can…" this was repeated into the night air as the woman walked away.

"Hey! Hey! Oi, you all right boy?" The light from the lantern pierced Toby's eyes as observed his surroundings. An old man kneeled over him, hands were gnarled and a long scar ran across his face from eye to neck. Toby was on the docks, chilled to the bone from the water; his mother was nowhere to be seen. He slowly got up, throwing up a quart of water on the way. "Please sir, d-did you happen to see a woman walk away from here when you helped found me?"

"Nope, sorry boy. Only ones that were here were me, you and God Almighty," the man said to Toby. "Say son, do you have any family? Relatives or such?" the man asked Toby, his eyes full of anticipation and a hint of malice. At first, Toby was going to say yes and tell him about his mother and how wonderful she was; but then he felt coldness deep within his heart. Angry thoughts raced across his mind, _'No mother in their right mind would kill their child! Mother never loved me, she probably had me to take the loneliness away…If she wanted to be gone from me, and then I shall! From this moment forth, I __**have no Family!' **_

"No sir! I have no family of such!" Toby exclaimed; his once youthful eyes now hardened into stone.

"Good boy, I think I might have a place for you to stay, for you to play with children all your age," The old man giggled and sinister smirk flitted across his face. He held out his hand as if offering Toby a letter, his eye bore into him like magnets. Toby stared at his hand for a full minute and gave his hand to the man.

The pair, hand in hand, walked off the docks and into the London mist.

AN: I plan on making this a multichaptered story and putting my own spin on some of the events. I hoped you liked it, please review :).


	2. Chapter 2

The moon slid from out of the clouds, casting the tall buildings around them in angelic light. Dread, that which only comes to you in the dead of night, began to take hold of Toby, his heart frantically beating in his chest. Even though it was a warm summer night, Toby's blood ran ice cold in his veins. The pair had gone down a dizzying array of alleyways, each one darker than the last.

Toby had never been in this part of London before, and even though he and his mother had lived in a shack of a home; there were no screams of agony echoing on the wet cobblestones nor bodies surrounded about a pitiful fire trying to get warmth. The old man looked straight ahead; apparently the noise did not bother him a bit.

"Please sir…where are we going?" Toby asked the man. A small smile curls upon the man face, "A place where all your troubles will be solved, it is filled with lots of children and you play games all day long…as long as you work hard." Toby frowned, trying to interpret the words that were said to him. _Maybe we're going to a circus, I _love_ circuses! The colors are so bright and the animals are sooo large!_

The dark alley opened up to a large factory; a dreary sight to see. It was tall and grey, matching the smog in the London sky. Two tall chimneystacks pumped sooty steam into the night sky, helping to blanket the town in darkness in the morning. Decaying marble columns stood in front, steep stairs led to a pair of blackened oak doors with silver handles marked the entrance to the building. Boarded windows held no answers to what was inside the structure. Toby felt a thin but strong hand upon his back; he looked up to see the man smirking with demonic delight.

"This boy is your new home. Do you see the beauty in the architecture? The walls thick and the roof waterproof, only a supreme and wealthy Duke could built the masterpiece. Inside, amazing wonders are made…just for little children just like you. Why don't you go in and meet your new friends, all the same age you. You'll get to play with toys all day, you like toys right?" the man asked Toby.

"Of course sir, who doesn't? I used to play with my mother's bows when she was sleeping with…"Toby trailed off as he thought of his mother. Her happy little jingles, small petite hands that wiped away the tears after the beatings he took from the men; a small bump in his throat began to throb. He tried to swallow but his body disobeyed him. The old man sighed, his eyes averted as the boy howled for his mother. He gently placed his arms around the boy and pulled in into a hug, the boy's sobs muffled as he pressed himself closer to the man's body.

"Son… I am sorry for what ever happened to your mother, but you have to put it behind you. She probably didn't want you if she tried to kill you. You have family now…my family, so dry your eyes and go in, I can promise you'll never cry again" the man whispered in Toby's ear. Toby's sobs subsided after he heard that, his face cold as he pulled away from the embrace.

"Thank you sir…I-I needed that. I'll show you that I'm the best worker here!" With that, Toby strode forward, took the stairs two at a time and gripped the handle in his hand. With all his strength, he pulled, the door opened to absolute darkness; he took a deep breath and with a steeled heart, walked into the building. The man stood outside, shaking his head and chuckling, "What an interesting boy, he's going to fun to watch grow…May even live to see his next birthday," with that the man walked over to the doors, went inside and with a heavy click, shut the doors.

XXX

Toby squinted, his eyes adjusting to the dim light inside. The place had a faint vanilla scent and the groan of machinery could be heard, a symphony of gears and cogs grinding away. The room had hardwood floors; they shined brightly in the murky light of the factory. There were only four walls, and only one held a large bookcase, painted with black lacquer.

The walls were grey with mold twisting into artistic tendrils, spreading across the walls. Toby could make pictures out of them; one he saw a dog, another he saw an intricate rose in the middle, its thorns coiled about it. On the third he saw a bird that looked like a Raven gliding from the heavens, the fourth…he saw demonic faces distorted, writhing in pain. He stared at this wall the longest, the faces both frightened and intrigued No doors or windows could be seen in the room, which perplexed Toby; he wondered how could there be no doors, yet people worked here?

Footsteps sounded behind him, Toby turned and saw the old man rummaging in a closet, hidden in the shadows. He came out with a cloth-like bundle in his arms, "How do you like your new home? My great-grandfather made the design," the man gushed, "I guess I better show you room now, huh boy?" Toby sent a questionable look at the man "But sir there's one _small_ problem…there are no doors. How do you suppose that we even _get_ to my room?" The elder only chuckled and walked over to the rose wall, and with his thin fingers, glided over a large vine and pressed at the tip.

A protest of rusty bars and screws was heard, and then silence as the rose was replaced by a large doorway. A hallway led from the door, softly lit from small oil lanterns that were held by iron rungs. The man merely walked past him and with an agitated glance at Toby walked down the hallway. Toby ran after him, raggedy leather shoes slipping on the polished floor.

The hall gently sloped upward, doors on each side, a piece of cloth or an engraved letter marked ownership of each room. Toby was led to the end of the hallway which held a stairway and two doors, one had black lace on the door with silver imprints of roses; the other was a deep red color, as if some had mixed black paint with blood. "Your pick my boy, which room do you want? the man asked Toby. Hazel eyes flickered back and forth to both doors as Toby tried to make a decision.

His thoughts began to wander as he deliberated his choices, thoughts about his mother.

She loved lace and looked amazing in black, her emerald eyes shone brightly from the dark contrast…but on the other hand, the red was a beautiful color. It was a color he knew a lot about, it spotted the walls and flowed into the cobblestones whenever his mother's clients had a bit too much to drink.

He closed his eyes, his mind set on his choice, "I want the red one sir," Toby stated clearly to the man. "A fine choice, a fine choice indeed" the man murmured as he produced a key and opened the door. Toby walked forward and viewed his room .The room had black walls and high windows that revealed the sepia ink darkness of the night sky. There was small bed with dark red covers in a corner, a small bookcase and table at the opposite end. A smile lit Toby's face; the room would certainly do well for him.

"So Toby…ready to meet your family" the man inquired as he handed over the bundle which turned out to be a very thick blanket. Toby replied with a smile and nod as the two walked out of the room and up the stairs. They were led to another hallway, the smell of meat pies floated across the hall. There was only one door in this hall, and Toby walked quickly over to it and grasped it with both hands. A questioning look from Toby to the man, a wave of encouragement from the elder and Toby pulled the door wide open.

Laughter boomed from the room as a chorus of children milled around ovens and ran in and out of other doors, some carrying machine parts; others had bottles filled with a clear solution. All eyes fell on him as he walked forward, a girl with white-blonde hair, no younger than thirteen addressed him, "Are you a new'un? My name's Marley, what's yours?" Toby stuttered through his introduction, earning a smile from the girl. "Come on now!" she grabbed his arm, "You've got a lot to learn if you're going to stay here."

She led past tables filled with cogs and pulleys, up to group of five children in front of the largest machine in the room, its tarnished metal pieces seemed to be shards of knifes and glass as they shot in and out, up and down. "This 'ere's the Weaver," Marley pointed at the machine, "This is where we make the cloths! All ya have to do is just feed it string see?" She pointed to the top of the machine where a balcony next to it held children who, inch by inch, put assorted cooler of thread into the machine. "But you should watch out, cause ya just might lose an' eye or two."

The words barely left her lips when a small child in front of them, maybe the age of four, screamed in pain. Toby's stomach flipped as he saw what had happened, a small spoke of the Weaver had stabbed the child in the eye. Well…his eye was gone now, a bright hazel and pink globe bobbing on the tip of the spoke as it continued its journey in the machine. An older child ran toward the injured one, a large brown bottle in her hands. She crooned in his ear as she opened the bottle; the foul stench filled the room as she tilted the child's head forward.

"Now this will only hurt for a second," she whispered and poured the bottle's contents into the wound. Toby clamped his hands over his ears as the child's screams tripled in intensity and watched in horror as the child scraped the skin off his face in pain as his eye socket bubbled up foam. Toby felt him self being dragged away from the scene, bile rising in his throat as the afterimage of the child's eye replayed itself every time he blinked.

He looked up to see Marley dragging him to another machine, a whimper escaped his lips as the machine let out a huge line of gray smoke. Toby was about to pull away when the smell of pies calmed him down, his mother always gave him a pie when she had the money and when she was almost sane. "You look like a fella who done met the Reaper and lived; would ya care for a meat pie…they're the freshest in London." She handed Toby a warm circular disk of dough, gravy leaking from the side. Toby cautiously took a bite out it and closed his eyes with pleasure, the meat and sauce creating a burst of flavor in his mouth.

He quickly took another bite, and another, within a few minutes finished his meal. Grabbing another from a nearby stove, he set to work on demolishing it. Marley let out a squealing giggle, a wide smile showing two missing teeth "Look it! He might eat out the whole kitchen!" Marley's smile soon quickly faded away as the old man walked up to the pair, a silver butterfly balanced on his outstretched hand. "Marley dear, you're not pestering the boy _are_ you?" he questioned as arranged the ornament in her hair. A muted "No sir", slipped from her lips as her eyes gazed at the ground, a light blush came upon her porcelain skin. "Ah, yes boy, I forgot to tell you my name. It's Mr. Silver, you can say I fulfill peoples wishes…isn't that right Marley?" Marley gently bobbed her head up and down.

"Toby looks tired, huh Marley. You can show him around tomorrow, how's that?" Again, a subtle gesture from her, Toby caught her eyes for a second, full of fear and sadness and walked past the other children to the door and to his room. After a few minutes of walking up and down twisting halls, Toby found his room. He stretched out on his bed, stunned of its softness and faint scent of perfume that rose from the pillow. He felt so weary, his arms and legs like lead weights. He though back on the night's events, of all the information he learned.

Marley was thirteen, a year older than he was and seemed nice enough. He wondered how she got here, but that could wait for another day, all he wanted to do is sleep. He gazed out of his window ,the moon still high in the sky as he closed his eyes, a silent guardian watching throughout the night.

XXX

The ship pulled into the bay, its wood creaking from the briny sea and long months in the sun. A tall and thin man walks off the ship, hair a beautiful black with one white stripe fell across his face. He breathes in, the thick and disgusting air of London fills his lungs; a sharp contrast from the air in America.

But the man wouldn't trade his life to go back there, London was his home and it always will be. It was the place where he found his true love and had his child…and where his life went down the drain. But he's back again, ready to make a living and to have revenge; so with his shaving knives in his suitcase and a demonic plan in his head, Sweeney Todd walks the streets of London a free and angry man.

* * *

AN: I hope you like the revised version of Chapter 2! XD. I'm going to make the next chapters longer because I felt there wasn't enough infomation...also because I don't want to do my homework this week.I'm still up for any Edgar/BB fanfics if you want, just send in the name of the story. Enjoy and I hope you have a great Halloween!


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Here you go readers, the third chapter of TDA and an update right before Christmas! Yay! Happy Holidays to everybody!Mrs. Lovett is going to have a bigger part in the next chapter, and Toby will be a bit older, maybe 15 or sixteen with an _interesting _occupation.

-Pen

* * *

Days turned into weeks as Toby spent time at the factory, his mother a flicker of a face in the back of mind. Marley was nice, she woke him up every day with a plate of food and ball of string ready to made into something fabulous. Toby followed the older girl as they walked over to the Weaver, making sure that his face was well away from the protruding spikes. Marley led him to a spiral staircase, balancing today's ball of red taffeta on her head as she climbed the rickety steps, "Now 'ere is where you got be careful Toby, one false move and your head will be crushed like a melon on the floor."

Toby grimaced, he had tasted melon before and hated the flavor, and he hoped his brain wasn't made out of it. The stairs led to an open and wide balcony, a line of children had already formed at the railing, multitudes of fabric rolled from their hands into a sharp-edged hole in the machine.

Marley pushed past younger ones, not caring if she stepped on their bare toes with her steel boots, pulling Toby by a dirty sleeve to the front.

"Look'ee 'ere Toby," she whispered and tugged at a loop, pulling a scarlet strand from the tangle. She slowly angled it down into the hole and unraveled it until it grew taught; she placed the ball on the floor and watched it spin as the Weaver pulled the threads inside.

Toby glanced at Marley, "What is …that thing making?"

Marley shrugged, "Some cloth for some prissy rich little girl," she leaned on the railing with glassy eyes raised toward the heavens, "she probably has a family and warm home. You know, someone who cares for her and holds her tight when the black nightmares tap on the window and shake her bed until she screams in fright." She turned to Toby, twirling a pale lock between her fore and middle fingers, "Did you have something like that before you came here Toby?"

Toby opened his mouth to answer but closed it as tears began to burn in his eyes; the memory of her broke his heart.

The scent of his mother, a mix of vanilla and something sweet filled his lungs. His mother arms felt like they were still wrapped around after her suitors left, a warm circle on his chest. How he missed her! Toby felt ashamed for even letting her disappear from his dreams.

But…Mr. Silver told him that his mother didn't want him; who would leave their child at the bottom of a river if they did not want them? He clenched his hands and sighed, holding back the sob in his throat till the pain went away, "Nope…my mother left me for dead."

Marley stared back at him, two blue, deep holes that bored into Toby's soul, "Oh," she whispered. The pair sat in silence as watched the burgundy ball dwindle as the ravenous machine below them rumbled on.

A loud giggle broke the trance; a thin and beautiful girl glided up the steps in a white gown, eyes as bright as stars. In her hands was yards of green velvet, it glittered in the lamplight as she walked forward to the pair. Toby gazed at her; the only woman who could compare in beauty to her was her mother.

She smiled at him and held out a smooth hand, "Hello, you must be the new boy people have been talking about. My name is Clare, what's yours?"

Toby blushed and glanced down as he said his name; Clare pinched his cheek and ruffled his hair, "You're a cute one, you know? No wonder Marley has been keeping you to herself…" she glanced at the blonde warily. Marley glared at Clare with narrowed eyes, linking arms with Toby she pulled him away from the other girl.

"What are you doing 'ere? I thought you stayed in Mr. Silver's room ever since he took a liking toward you, I don't think you need any more men in your life...or bed" Marley growled, anger clear in her eyes.

Clare stepped back, eyes wide with shock, "Well _then _Marley, good day to you too_._ I was told to take Toby to the seamstress with me-"

"Why?"

Clare rolled her eyes, "Oh please, give it up you empty headed-girl. He was getting tired of your antics anyway, and I think Toby's getting tired of seeing your face every day." She grabbed Toby's arm and pulled him towards the stairs, "Don't think you can follow us either dear, or I'll tell Mr. Silver where his opium pills disappears to every Friday night."

Clare giggled maliciously and tugged Toby downstairs and out in the hall, he flinched as Marley's sobs echoed out from the room.

XXX

Toby blinked back tears as they stepped out into the grey London sky, it had been some time since Toby had been outside and small amount of light was hurting him. He glanced at Clare, her hair as bright as fire waved in the wind as she strode down an alleyway, and Toby quickened his steps to keep up with her.

"Why was I chosen to take you to the seamstress?" She shrugged, "You weren't really…but I didn't want to go alone. The Beadle is a nasty one, I don't like the way he looks at me when I pass a street and most men don't bother girls if they're with a child." Toby nearly laughed at that, his mother had crowds of men around her whenever they walked to the grocer or park.

"Now Toby, can I ask you a question?" Clare said, bobbing her head to music only she could hear. Toby nodded, pressing close against a brick wall as a carriage nearly ran him down. "You don't really like spending time with Marley, do you?" Clare's green eyes searched his face for a reaction.

"I like her, she's very nice and funny. Yesterday she told me a story about a dog that got its pecker stuck in-"

"Yes, yes, that sounds interesting Toby but don't you think she's a bit…weird?" Clare interrupted him and kicked a homeless woman in rags when she gazed longingly at her fabric. Toby winced and fell silent, a few weeks earlier the poor woman was one of his mother's contenders.

He half-hoped that the same had not happened to her. Clare babbled all the way to the store, only stopping when she handed her cloth over to the woman over the counter.

The seamstress had a kind face and white hair as soft as cotton, whenever Toby came in with his mother to fix her dress, she gave him a cookie and a piece of candy. "H-Hello dearie," the old woman whispered to Toby, "I haven't seen you with your mother for a long time. She came in only a few hours ago but looked a bit sad, you didn't leave your poor mother alone did you?"

Toby shook his head and was about to answer when Clare cut him off.

"Look here! I need a ballroom dress by Thursday and you're talking your life away. No wonder your fool of a husband died before you," Clare wrinkled her nose and tossed the money to the woman, pushing Toby out the door and into the smog filled air.

Toby stood his place as Clare walked forward, she turned and looked at him questionably, "What's the matter Toby? Do you want some candy before we go back? I think I may have enough for a lolly or fudge somewhere-"

"I'm going back to apologize to the woman in the shop," he said and placed his hand on the door. "Oh, no you're not little boy," Clare growled and forcefully pulled Toby down the street and into an alley. She slammed him against the wall and pinned him there with her sharp nails digging into him shoulder, "Listen well Toby. That woman deserved it okay? Where I come from if the help doesn't do what their job requires them to do, then anyone can remark on their life. I don't know or care where you came from, probably from some whore's legs but you can't be nice to everyone."

Toby shoved her away, Clare screamed as she fell into a pile of horse waste and dirtied her gown. He ran aimlessly, going deeper into the catacombs of London until his legs gave out.

He paused for breath and glanced around. He saw that his mother's house was close by; he willed his legs to move as he walked up the familiar street to the shack where he used to live. He wondered if he walked in what his mother would do; she would probably cover him with kisses and promise him that she'll never let him go. He reached his destination and he gazed at his past home. It was a bit smaller than what he remembered, the plaster chipped off in many places and ivy growing uncontrolled on the hatch roof.

He used to think of it as the house the witch in the story _Hansel and Gretel_lived in, just not made out of sweets and as pretty. He crawled up to a window, the light inside was dim but he could make out the bed where his mother slept in when the men came for fun. His drawings were on the floor, torn into bits and looks as if they had been covered in something sticky and ochre. His hungry eyes scoped the room for a hand, a leg, even the glint from a bottle of rum that could tell him that his mother was inside.

Nothing. Only an empty home filled with a bed and papers strewn along the ground. He turned to go but froze as his auburn eyes met familiar green ones, his mother stood in front of him with an armload of packages.

"Hello t-there," she kneeled down to his height, black lace rustling against the cobblestone ground, "w-what's y-your name little boy?"

XXX

Clare stomped back to the orphanage, anger boiling in her blood and venom in her cobalt eyes. She strode past the younger children, face burning as they giggled and whispered at her backside. "My gawd! What reeks of horse manure?" a young girl sung out as she stood close to the Weaver, with crooked teeth she continued at a louder pitch, "Never mind, it's just Clare's perfume!"

Clare grit her teeth and screamed silently, today was not her day. The small child only added kindle to her fire, "I heard that Clare likes to sleep around. It must be her blood, her mother was probably the biggest whore the world had ever seen. Thomas and Dillon said that Clare had them both at the same-"

Clare grabbed the girl and pushed her face into the metal spikes. She howled in pain and tried to get away but Clare held her still and drove the lances deeper into the girl skull; it wasn't long until the girl stopped moving. The blood ran down in rivulets down the machine and pooled at Clare's feet, staining her alabaster gown pink. Clare grimaced, her favorite dress was ruined because of a stupid child. She ran her bloodied hand through her hair and turned to face the others, daring them to speak aloud.

Silence greeted her, she smirked and said, "Has anyone seen Mr. Silver? It is of great importance that I speak to him." A frightened four year old pointed down the hall and Clare smiled at him, "Thank you dear." She walked to the hallway but turned around, "For anyone who wants to know, it was Thomas and _Riley,_ not Dillon." She walked to Mr. Silver's room, preparing the tears that would flow out of her eyes as she told her tale. She would tell him that Toby was actually a brute, that he tried to sell her to the Beadle and made her sit in horse shit.

Clare smiled, that tale would surely get her two dresses, even a little maid to take of her. She placed her hand on the doorknob and was about to walk in when she heard voices from inside; carefully, she pressed her ear to the door to listen.

"Mr. Silver I just wanted to talk to you 'bout…." Clare rolled her eyes, Marley was whining yet again to Mr. Silver, when would she realize that he didn't love her anymore? Mr. Silver said something too low for Clare's ears to pick up, she leaned in closer to hear, "Marley dear, you know I do care about you but there is no reason for you spread lies about Clare..."

"But I've seen her with the boys and how she looks at 'em! I can get Riley in 'ere to tell you about what he did with her only a few nights ago…"

Clare sunk her nails into the wooden railing in anger, it was Marley that told everyone her secret. She would take pleasure from kicking Marley in the face after she was done with Mr. Silver; Clare was plotting more scenarios when she heard Marley gasp in surprise.

"Is this for me, sir? It's so pretty and so shiny…are you really givin' it to me?"

Give _what_? Clare wished she could see past walls, the way she exclaimed made Clare think the gift must have been very expensive. It could have even been for _Clare_! She slipped into a dark corner as the door opened, Marley exited with a bright face and a red package gripped in her hand. "See ya Mr. Silver , thank you for the gift!" she said and ran down the hall.

Tears burned down Clare's face as she ran into the room, "Mr. Silver! That boy Toby is so horrible…you won't believe what he made me do." A large fire crackled in the hearth and a golden canary sang from a cage held up high; papers covered the floor, all written in spidery handwriting. A large bed with numerous amounts of pillows held Mr. Silver, face pale and lined with wrinkles, he glanced up to look at Clare but then looked at a wall.

She crumbled in at the foot of his bed and shook her shoulders, waiting for his comforting words and presents he gave her when she cried.

"Marley told me that you took Toby out to go to the seamstress…I'm pretty sure that I didn't give you permission to do any of those things and I didn't see Toby with you when you came in," Mr. Silver whispered, voice as soft as silk. She shrugged and looked at the flickering flames, "I just didn't want to go outside alone…I thought he would like it."

"You thought wrong…what happened to that bolt of velvet on the fourth floor, it was for the Judge's ward but no one could find it. Marley said that you had some in your hands before you left," Mr. Silver spoke into the air.

"I o-ordered a …" Clare whispered, her heart beating hard against her rib cage.

"What? You're going to have to speak up dear."

Clare knew that he knew; it was a game he known to play, teasing a person till they crack and releasing his anger out on them. Clare remembered what happened to her mother, the images after made her shudder in fright even though she was inches away from a fire.

"I ordered a gown, a ballroom gown for myself ."

"Clare, I feel as if you don't love me as much as I do. Sometimes I think you do it for the presents, other times I think it for the power of being better than people," he tilted his head, a small smile on his lips and eyes glinting like a serpent. "What do you think?"

She licked her lips, " I don't feel that way sir…" she answered. "But it doesn't matter what you think, your actions tell me everything. Marley told me about something very _serious _you did with two boys," Mr. Silver said, rising out of the bed and walking close to Clare, a long leather whip was coiled around his hand.

"Remember what your mother did to me Clare and how I punished her? Well, you're going to get it too; it must be true what people say 'Like Mother like daughter." With that, he raised the whip high above Clare's head, her screams could be heard above the rumbling of the Weaver.

XXX

Toby could stare at his mother as she led him inside."W-well now, are y-you lost little boy?" she crooned as she started a fire in the fire place and placed her bundle on the bed. Toby shook his head, his voice seemed to have disappeared at the moment, his mother sat on the edge of the bed and gazed at him.

"Mother I-"

"Oh dear! You m-must be starving, I'm so s-sorry little one," she walked over to a cabinet and began to rummage for some food. Toby was confused, why didn't she hug him? Or hold him tight like she used to whenever he had a bad dream?

Why was she acting as if she didn't know him?

"Ah-ha!" she exclaimed, pulling out a loaf of bread and a bottle of something clear, "some f-food for a little boy like you." She tossed him the bread and opened the bottle on the bed, taking a long drink she said, "I h-had a beautiful boy with h-hair like yours…it was the prettiest brown I-I've ever s-seen."

Toby glanced at the loaf and held it near the fire to soften it up, he licked his lips, "Mother, I'm back." He waited for her reaction, she hummed softly and looked into the fire, eyes glassy and large. She took another drink and turned to him, "Do you know w-what his name w-was?"

"Who…?"

"My son. D-Do you know what h-his name was?"She hiccupped, a dreamy smile on her face, "I h-haven't seen h-him in so l-long…the n-nice seamstress down the l-lane said s-she had s-seem him. But I d-don't believe her since s-she likes to drink l-lots," she giggled and sighed.

"Toby…my name is Toby. Mother, are you ok?" Toby asked, fear was wide in his eyes, he had never seen her this drunk in his life. He glanced at the bottle she clutched, "Mother what are you drinking? I think you have had enough."

Scratching her head with a grubby hand, she ignored him and continued, " T-that's it, Toby. He l-looked a lot like you and had the cutest face, j-just like an angel…angels are with him now."

Toby held his mother and shook her hard, hoping to get the alcohol or whatever it was out her system, "Mother! Look at me! I'm Toby, your son! I'm back, ok!"

Her head lolled forward, a tear dropped from her eye, "Now Toby's w-with the a-angels now…I made s-sure of that when I p-put him in the river." She glanced at him and smiled, "Hello l-little boy, w-what's your name? I-I had a b-boy who l-looked just like you…w-what was his name?"

Toby sighed and left her on the bed, closing the door behind him as he went back to Marley and his room.

XXX

Marley hummed a song to herself as she added a light blue ribbon into her hair, it felt thick and didn't have any grease marks like her old ones. Mr. Silver's gift made her smile, she tilted her head side to side to admire the cloth in her head. She polished her mirror a bit more, freezing as she saw Clare leaning the doorway. "You little snitch," the red-head growled.

Clare took a step closer she said, "How dare you tell people what I do at night!" Marley glared back at her, "Maybe you shouldn't act so uppity as if you were a princess and this 'ould have never happened. He must have hit you pretty hard huh?" Clare traced a wound on her back, biting her lip until it bled as she accidently pushed the salt deeper inside her flesh.

"Shut up you slut! I was once one of London's finest girls, I would have married the Prince, given a few more years for me to grow."

"But now you're not, eh? You a ragamuffin like me," Marley snickered at Clare. Clare screamed and grabbed the first thing she could reach, she smirked as she saw the butterfly in her pale hand. She sprinted out of the room and down the hall before Marley could catch her.

Marley's legs weakened and she fell to the floor, Clare took her gift. That girl took her gift, a gift that Marley rightfully deserved. Marley searched for the scalpel she brought with her when she first came here, the blood pounding in her ears. No one takes anything from her.

XXX

Toby slipped through the door, quietly opening his door and kicked off his shoes. He climbed in bed, his head and body both tired from his day outside, he falls into slumber.

XXX

Clare screams.

White-blonde hair wound tightly against a pale finger, Marley barely winces as the strands of hair dismantle one by one from her scalp.

"Oh dear, _oh dear_…maybe no one will notice," she whispered to herself.

A sharp and aged voice from the back of her mind gently screeches, "_Of course dear, no one will see the dead body on the ground!" _Tears erupt from Marley's eyes, "Shut up! Just shut up, Mother! No wonder Father left you for that whore!" she yelled to the empty hall.

The voice continues, dripping with venom,_ "Just tell Mr. Silver she took your present; he knows how you like your presents. Maybe he'll even let you be his favorite. We both know how you like attention." _The girl's body was mangled and cold, a white and bloody gown wrapped round her naked figure, her vivid red hair held an ornate butterfly; blood seeped from her mouth and multiple wounds on her arms and legs.

Marley's right hand clutched a small tin scalpel, stained forever black from blood. Her breath was ragged, eyes wide with fright and anger. Loud footfalls come close to her, quickening as the outburst slips from her lips.

Marley turns with her eyes downcast, expecting to see Mr. Silver's shiny black leather shoes; instead she sees torn brown slippers connected to thin, knobby legs. Toby's voice cuts through the silence, "Marley…what in the world happened here?"

XXX

Toby quickly jumped from his bed, the scream pumping adrenaline through his veins. He reached for his shoes, a sorry excuse made from rags of his mother's old dresses. His door easily opens and he slipped in the dark hallway, the bright lanterns now off and diffusing a faint scent of vanilla.

The large moon lights Toby's way up three flights of stairs and through twisted halls, distorted sobs float down from the floor above him. A large door marks the last flight of stairs in the building, Toby's slight legs burn with exhaustion as he sprints up staircase and into the open landing. There was no roof here, only a convoluted glass ceiling; the room was filled with twisted mannequins fully clad in expensive silks shirts and dresses.

Two silhouettes cast long shadows on the wooden floor; one tall with an elongated and sharpened finger, hair straight and shining with an angelic glow; the latter with hair as bright as fire, body splayed on the ground with dark russet ink flowed freely from her body.

They were both were females, the one standing slowly turned her head to face Toby, the blood drained from his face as he recognized the blood drenched smile of the girl he talked to only hours before.

"Marley, what in the world happened…why would you do this?" Toby asked her.

Her smile only widened, "Oh Toby! You wouldn't believe what she did…she took the present Mr. Silver gave me and tried to hide it. But…I found out. That bitch thought she could steal from me, _well I proved her wrong," _Marley cackled this last part now. Toby stared at her, not sure of where her sanity had gone; Marley continued with her tirade. "_But__** Mother**__ helped me get her back. She always took him away from me when I needed him, using her crooked words and conniving actions._"

Her voice lost its strength, eyes blank and confusion written on her face, "Toby, would you mind tellin' me why your'se up here…why I am I up here's too?" Her eyes find the carcass on the ground; the scalpel clatters to the ground as she wails into her hands.

"Oh my…I'm sorry you had to see me like that Toby, it's just that she angered me _so_ much! She got all the best things from Mr. Silver, thinking just because she came from a higher family than me that she was better than me.

She reminded me of me mum, worthless bag of meat and bones, always complainin' about me father leaving us or how I treated her like dirt. My father loved me more…more than me mum, she was jealous, she was. She used to beat me senseless until I bled."

Understanding came to Toby as Marley told her tale, "So what did you do Marley, did you…you know?"

Toby's voice rang with interest and disgust. Marley bent down to the pool of blood, a thin finger glided on the surface and brought the mortal red to her lips; it splattered on the ground as she spoke.

"I took a knife an' needle to her, we were seamstresses back then. I was gentle to her face, I got rid of all the winkles she had, and she was very young but looked so _ugly._ I was good with knives as a kid, fixed her up right, and even sewed her up when I was done, her eyes shone so bright that day… I put in some glitter, she loved shiny things."

Marley sighed, hands clasped together with a look of determination on her face. "Toby… we're still friends aren't we. You don't think that I'm bad, do you?"

Toby walks up to the kneeling girl, encasing her in a hug, "Of course not," he whispered into her ear; he just noticed this…but Marley smelled like his mother, a mix of harsh vanilla and sweet berry.

His mother…to her, he was dead in the river, but Marley knew he was alive. "What do you want me to do, Marley? I'll do anything to help you."

Marley gently holds his hand as he stands up, a small smile on her face, "We have to get rid of the body Toby, before Mr. Silver finds out…and then we can leave. You don't know how long I've been waitin' to leave!" Toby nods and with Marley's help, drags the corpse to a window; Marley unlatches it as Toby shoves the body down.

She floats as if she has wings, only to have her skull crack from the impact of the cobblestones. Marley giggled as they leave the room hand in hand, her blue ribbon bobbing in her hair, "Let's go now Toby, and make a name for ourselves."

XXX

Mr. Silver lies awake in his room, silent as a snake; a tear finds a way to his cheek. The blood from hours ago began to flake off his hands. His Clare.

His dear Clare was dead. He listened as Marley's and Toby's footfalls disappear, closing his eyes as he prepares for the long morning ahead, cleaning up a human brain has never been fun to him. He barely flinches as the front door shuts, a piece of his heart walking away in the cool night air. He wonders if he'll ever see Toby again…he seemed to be such a good boy.

XXX

Black tangled hair curls in serpent tails; yellowed, sharpened teeth glow with a dangerous light as the women inhales her cigarette. Her pin collides with the dough; a large roach starts to bleed as she kneads it with her knobby hands. Thick green slop is spooned into the makeshift pie; a floured hand grazes her forehead as she wipes the sweat away. Mrs. Lovett works hard every day , using only quality ingredients , that lying old Ms. Mooney using her own cats for meat, it's a wonder people are still alive after eating that. Mrs. Lovett moves her pies to the oven as she lets out a rather large sneeze; a smile alights her face, remembering a tale her mother told her, "_Someone lucky will go and visit you when you sneeze…don't you forget that, you disgusting girl." _A rough laugh escapes her chapped lips as she slams the oven door shut, _what poor soul would want to come here, _thought the young woman, _unless he's looking for a good time._ Another laugh comes from this thought; Nellie Lovett giggles herself to sleep with the thought and the help of a bottle of rum.


	4. Chapter 4

Ta-da! TDA Chapter four update! Been such a long time since I updated this huh? At least from here out it won't be chapters you already read. I've already started new chapter for "Famliy History" and "The Picture..." I hope you enjoy it! XD

* * *

"Toby!"Marley called out to the lad behind her, blonde hair like a wild halo in her face. Toby huffed as he climbed to the top of the hill; sweat plastered his dark hair to his head. Marley patted his back and helped him to the ground, "Come on Toby, you gotta be faster than that."

Toby shot her a glare, "Well I'm sorry, I don't run a lot okay?" Marley giggled and got up, Toby sighed and forced his weak legs to carry him, "It's not much farther Toby, maybe just a 'ittle further." With that she skipped down the cobbled streets into the darkness, Toby a sucked in a breath and sprinted after the girl.

Toby sighed in relief as Marley stopped in front of the seamstress' store, "W-What are we doing here?" he asked Marley as they entered the store through a window, darkness covered them like a blanket. "Well," Marley whispered, "I had I friend back at Mr. Silver's place who told me what she did before she came there.

"She wore pretty dresses an' got to go to the bestest parties in town. All she had to do was spend some time with a man…"

"Huh? That's sounds nice…is that what we're gonna do?" Toby asked her as she rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a candle. Marley lit it with an ember from the fireplace and nodded, she opened a cabinet and pulled out a pink lace dress, "I used to get some pretty dresses from 'ere when I was a kid. My father used to bring me up 'ere to give me a present for being such a good kid."

Marley held the dress to her body, gasping in anger as white wax from the candle dripped down the bodice and destroyed the taffeta that seemed to be spun out of silk.

"Oh darn…Toby, go look for one of your own. I'll try to find one for myself," Marley said as she threw the ruined dress to the ground.

Toby frowned, "Why do _I have_ to wear a dress?"

"Because we won't get any money if you're not in chara'ter," Marley said to him, "now go get your dress!" Toby sighed and walked around the room, glancing at the soft fabrics that hung from iron hangers; he stopped finally in front of a dark green and grey dress. Dark lace was sewn into the collar-high neckline and cuffs, while forest green silk made the rest of the dress.

Toby smiled at it, it was the same color as his mother's eyes. He pulled it from its hanger and tried it on; he blushed when he saw he looked just like a common girl when he glanced at himself in the mirror. "You look like a 'ittle girl, huh Toby?" Marley giggled at him, the blonde had found a sky blue dress for herself.

Toby searched his pants pockets for some coins as Marley climbed out of the window, "Hey Marley? How are we gonna pay for the dresses?" he asked. "Oh yeah…Toby, we're not goin' to pay her," Marley whispered from the other side of the glass, her chest tinged with pain as she saw the young boy's face fall, "But I'll promise to give her som' money the next time I see her." Toby sighed, he really didn't like leaving the woman's house like this, he quickly grabbed a sheet of paper and pen from her desk and left her short note. With that, he climbed out the window into the dark night of London.

X

Benjamin Barker walked around London; each grey tower he passed was familiar and only stoked his excitement even more. He walked past whores and drunks in the dark part of town to his old home, hope warming his chest as he ran up the steps and to the door. His imprisonment in America had made him weary, almost to the point where he was ready to take a bullet to the face. But his Lucy and Johanna, they kept him sane enough so the years passed by quickly. Now, he was going to hold his girl in his arms and see his precious wife once more.

"Lucy! Johanna! Anyone? I'm home…I'm back now," he whispered as the empty room lay before him. Glass ornaments lay broken on the floor, Johanna's playthings torn to shreds, black mold creeping up every wall. Benjamin stepped forward, the smell of decay made him retch as he gazed at the room.

Where was his family, his beautiful wife and young daughter? Benjamin paled, dropping to the floor as his legs gave out; surely they didn't leave town. Lucy couldn't- no she _wouldn't_ had left without telling him, she loved him as much as he loved her.

"Oi…what are you doing here?" a frail woman called out behind him, "the lady who lived there is long gone…her husband was a drunkard from what I heard. The judge was right on for sending that man to America…" Benjamin rose and left the apartment, striding past the woman and down to the wet cobblestoned road below; taking a deep breath of the frigid and bitter air, he erased what he saw in his mind and his foolish wish of his family.

With a blink and slower pace, Sweeney Todd walked up the streets of London and left Benjamin Barker in the darkness of the dingy apartment to wither and die.

X

"Well hello there," the old man whispered to Toby and Marley as they stood with the other prostitutes of Lion Street. Toby remembered when he had to spend hours standing with his mother here until she found a suitor, but today she wasn't in her usual spot. Toby gave him a smile and slid a glare at Marley, why the hell was _he _doing this? She merely ignored him and said to the man, "Hello sir, I wish I could talk with you som' more but my father's 'bout to walk out of the pub over there and he'll be mighty angry if he saw you over 'ere." She pointed at a random bar across the street; the sound of drunken men was like a roar that hurt Toby's ears. The man blushed and continued on his way, settling on a woman far, far away from the pair.

"I sure showed him huh Toby?" Marley prodded him with her elbow; Toby growled at her, "Why the hell am I dressed like a girl?! You could have done this by yourself and I could have been anything other than a girl!"

Marley blinked back tears, "B-But I didn't want to do this by myself Toby…I want us to always be to'ether."

"Whatever."

Marley looked at Toby, "Well I'll prove it to ya Toby, I'll find the greatest person in th' world to take care of us!" Marley turned on her hell and sprinted down an alley, leaving Toby alone with busty women that reeked of alcohol and something musty.

Toby ran after, mentally cursing her every step he took, "_Marley! Come back here_!" he called out down the dark alleys, tripping over drunk men and piles of trash.

"Toby! I'm over here," a familiar voice called out, he smiled and ran toward Marley's voice, nearly tripping over his feet as he saw her with a handsome young man.

"Really?" Toby said, raising his voice a pitch so that he didn't sound like such a boy, he tried to get his hand out of the man's grasp but he failed as the man only squeezed his hand harder. The teen took Marley's hand too; she gave him a big smile and winked at Toby, she mouthed '_I told ya so,' _to Toby.

The teen walked/dragged the pair into a smoky hotel room; Toby sneezed as he entered the room, the scent of cologne made his nose burn. A group of well dressed men greeted them, three men in all. The teen shoved them forward onto the floor; Toby's dress at the hem tore and cut his kneecaps. The teen sighed and pulled out a thick wad of pound notes, "Well then little girls, my friends and I will pay you a _lot _of money if you let us do some things with you tonight for a hour or two."

"Ahh…" Toby began; he knew from experience with his mother that 'something' usually meant something horrid and painful. Marley's blue eyes glittered at the sight of the money; she snatched it right of the man's hand and stuffed in her shoe, "We'll do anythin' ya want sirs!"

Toby paled as Marley said this, "Wait! S-she didn't mean-" he began but it was too late. The men's' eyes glittered with something akin to evil; Toby screamed as two men grabbed him and carried him off to a bed, the same happened with Marley. Toby gasped as the needle slid under his skin to his vein. "This is gonna make everything alright little girl; don't feel scared to scream, it only excites us more," a man whispered into Toby's ear as he injected him with something. Toby's head was pushed into a pillow and his legs pinned down; he tore at the bed covers as he felt a hand slid up his legs and up to his privates.

"Oi…this isn't a girl," a man exclaimed, "that little blonde bitch cheated us out of some money!" "Oh shut up Richard! At least he's alive. The last we did this, I got a bloody rash down where the sun don't shine from the corpse you dragged out from the river." The man grumbled and Toby froze as he heard zippers being opened and the swoosh of fabric falling to the floor.

Hot tears fell from his eyes as he felt some lay on top of him and probed his anus with a thick, cold finger. "At least he's a virgin, the man on top of him said as he slammed into Toby; the young boy's screams were muffled by the thick pillow as the hard member plowed his insides. He called out for his mother for the next fifteen minutes, shuddering in disgust when the man came in him; he bit the man holding down as the man got off of him.

Toby received a punch in the mouth for that, "You little prick! Just for that I'm going to make my turn a living hell for you," the next man growled as he entered Toby. Toby shrieked in agony and was gagged with a filthy cloth, each thrust made his stomach turn. Toby mumbled a prayer through his gag as the drug finally started to kick in; he barely felt the man on top of him as the world started to spin. The men left him on the bed, bruised and bleeding from his bum, Toby awoke by feeling cool water on his face.

He looked up to see Marley's blue eyes full of tears, "I'm so sorry Toby, I didn't kno' that they were gonn' hurt ya." Toby tried to form words but his mouth was dry, he merely let the tears fall down his face as Marley washed the blood and semen from his body. "I promise this will nev'r happen again Toby," Marley whispered to him, patting the young boy's head as he passed out once more.

X

Mrs. Lovett sang a low lullaby as she took an early walk in the city; her petite black laced hat fraying at the top was perched jauntily on the side of her head. The liquor was not out of her system yet but the cold air helped her clear her mind before she started to make her pies for the day. She breathed in deep, quickly regretting it when the foul stench of dung and smog went up her nose. She huffed angrily, _what a way to start my morning,_ went through her mind as she sidestepped an old mongrel splayed across the street.

She nearly broke her nose as she slipped upon a slick piece of lace, "Bloody Hell! This town has gone to the-", she paused with her sentence. The lace was actually part of a dress, a very _beautiful_ one, Mrs. Lovett added. However, it was not the obsidian dress that ceased her ranting; it was the young woman's body that wore it. She had long and bright crimson hair and her face…half of it was in splattered pieces on the cobbled gray road.

Mrs. Lovett leaned in closer and saw that a large lock of hair had been torn from her scalp; she gently brushed the hair from the girl's face, oblivious to the blood and maggots that came from the action.

She looked at the dress again, it was still in one piece _and_ it seemed to fit her profile exactly, give or take a few inches of course. With rapid glances up and down the street, she pulled the dress from the corpse, careful not to damage her find. She walked back to her store, happy with herself and thinking that these early walks were worth the stench and filth of London. She hummed her way back to her shop, swinging the dress in the air as she walked into her home. A cough sounded behind her, she froze as footsteps walked closer to her.

"Excuse me madam…I saw a room above your shop and wondered if you were renting, I just arrived from America," a man's smooth voice said. Mrs. Lovett scoffed and turned to face the man, "An' what th' hell do you think you are waltzing into my home like you belong – Oh dear." Nellie Lovett blinked in surprise, the man was extremely handsome. His high cheek bones and alabaster skin made her heart flutter like a sixteen year old. "O-Of course I was renting, tee hee!" Mrs. Lovett tittered, twirling a lock of hair between her finger tips.

The man smirked as if he knew he had her under his spell; he strolled around the shop, tapping the top of a pie with a finger. He shuddered as cockroaches scurried from the baked good; Mrs. Lovett quickly pulled him away.

"Oh no dear…those are for the little kitties next door, _if they ever come back that is_. But here love," she led the man down to seat, "I'll make a new one just for you." The man smiled, teeth as white as bone, "May I ask a question madam?" the man whispered to the Mrs. Lovett as she rolled the dough and threw in some not-so-moldy meat scraps. Mrs. Lovett blushed, "Oh dear…I'm only thirty-four sir, but I'll happily allow you to court me."

She saw the man's face pale, "Ah, no. I wanted to know if anyone knows of a widow with a little girl…a woman with gold hair still lives in this area. She was…the wife of an acquaintance of mine and I wish to see her to offer a greeting." Mrs. Lovett thought about it as she threw the pie into the oven; there _was_ that handsome barber's wife, but that was years ago and she's let herself go, wandering around the streets and muttering nonsense to anyone her passes her way. Nellie didn't know why the Judge didn't take her life; it would have helped a lot of people.

What was her name again? Lacey?

Laura?

_Maybe I should have paid more attention to people back then, rather than staring at that _glorious _man, _Mrs. Lovett said to herself. She glanced at the gaunt man, what business would he have with that crazy woman?

"Ah…there was this woman a few years ago. Her husband was sent off to America for doing something Gods know what, the judge here is a bit out of his head if you ask me. You sure do look familiar sir, you sure I haven't seen you before?" the man shook his head, raven locks whipping the air. "Hmm, well anyway, after her husband left she left alone with her little baby…she couldn't keep a job, she's was a bit too _pretty_ for work.

"The judge came around constantly, always giving her flowers and a few pounds to pay her rent and to feed her child…he looked he was courting though. One day she was invited to a ball hosted by the judge and like an idiot she went. I heard that she was trapped on a couch as people watched the judge-"

"_No! Stop it now!"_ the man screamed as tears rolled from his eyes, he leaned back and forth as if in agony, "Lucy, my dear Lucy…I'm so sorry."

Mrs. Lovett frowned, "So _that_ was her name…" she tilted forward to look at the man closely. "My God, aren't you Benjamin Barker?" The man nodded and wiped his tears away, "Yes, but I go by Sweeney Todd now. D-Did Lucy fare well after the…?" Nellie looked at the man, she saw the hurt that he was in and if he ever found out that his wife was that _woman_, "She took some poison dear…they found her body in a chair, her baby still suckling on a teat. The judge took the daughter though, I guess to repent."

"That bastard has _my _daughter?" Sweeney whispered, madness flashed in his dark brown eyes. Mrs. Lovett nodded and pulled her pie out, "Oh yes dear, but if you stay here I'm sure you could find her and get your revenge for your wife."

Sweeney smiled at her and Nellie was sent back those long years before he went to America; for a second, she saw the kind-hearted man she fell in love with from afar.

But it disappeared as soon as it came. "Thank you Mrs. Lovett for your offer, I think I may stay here and get my daughter back," he whispered. Mrs. Lovett smiled; her heart skipped a beat when she heard that he would stay. Today was a lucky day for her.

A few weeks later, Mrs. Lovett was deep in work of creating a new pie, substituting meat for roaches. Her new dress fit snugly across her chest and she added some reds and pinks to bring in more color…Men don't like the monochrome dresses and she saw how Mr. Todd looked at her whenever she walked into his loft in a _relieving _dress. She would never eat her pies but if that old wretch of a baker could use cats and people ate them, and then roaches were a good start for her. An old man walked in, a bright red scar went down from his right eye to his neck, and black rings under his eyes closely matched the black of his suit.

Mrs. Lovett looked up, a smile crosses her face as she exclaimes "Ah…Mr. Silver! What can I do you for? Meat pie, gin, or both?" She quickly stuffed a roach into the dough, hoping his eyes were not as sharp people say.

He solemnly shook his head, "Mrs. Lovett…Nothing could ever bring me from my mood." He sat down at a table, staring blankly out the window, slow and bloated grey clouds move across the sky, holding unshed tears. "Oh dear, one of my children just died and two others left me, what is the world coming-", Mr. Silver stares at Mrs. Lovett.

She blushes, thinking that he was admiring her figure but it was something different that caught his gaze. "Where did you get that dress?" Mr. Silver lightly whispered to the woman; she hurriedly examines it, not understanding the question. "I…bought it. Why do you ask?"

"Why, hmm, I just wanted to know because my child had a dress similar to that, but not with all those colors. Her hair was so red, it was like blood you could say…"as Mr. Silver continues, Mrs. Lovett nervously twitches. She has heard that Mr. Silver was infamous for his anger and sadistic games he plays, she did not want to be on his bad side.

"Mr. Silver I _can_ tell you where I got the dress…That woman across my shop, she sold it to me. She was a bit shady about the details of how she obtained it, you should talk to her." Mr. Silver stood and thanked her, leaving quickly in the direction of Ms. Mooney's. Mrs. Lovett watches him leave, humming to herself as her put another roach in the pie.

X

Four years later…

The cold air electrified Toby's nerves, sending him sprinting down the dark London maze of cobbled walkways searching for his companion. Marley had quickly run off, giggling about "a new life" or something of the sorts with some judge. Toby did not really care about his life; he knew that he could live off the streets like a vagabond if he had to. His mother had taught him that well enough.

Toby and Marley had lived on the streets for the past four years He stopped in front of a grubby bar; provocative women radiate a scent of desperation, a interesting mix of sweat and lavender as they loiter near the building, some trying to pull Toby into their tight embraces for the need of a few flimsy pieces of paper, other just glared. His waist was far slimmer than a regular woman's, his tightly pulled corset and a history of a lack of exercise made sure of that.

His effeminate hands were soft and smooth, nails painted a slick and dangerous black. Lank brown locks hung in front of large kohl traced eyes, lips burgundy and full; he was the perfect prostitute.

All he had to do was raise his voice pitch and he had a man, some fierce with anger when they saw through his hoax but more often stayed, not caring about a few missing parts only wanting release. Sure it hurt, hurt worse than anything he had experienced in his life, but he was always paid for his services and some enjoyed the tears that came with it.

"Marley, where are you?" Toby called out, roughly shoving away the competition and walking into the tavern. Marley had an inclination of falling in _love_ with any man who promised her a life of luxury; an unconscious will of trying to find her new Mr. Silver. The stench of beer and cigarettes makes Toby scrunch up his nose as he stumbles into the murky room. There were more women inside, most of them either sitting top or under the tables, the men foolishly falling for their cunning words and caresses.

Toby cranes his head over the mob of people, his boots pinching his already tired and calloused feet, looking for an unmistakable head of white-blonde. Instead, a bout of laugher pulled him in the right direction, a drunken and shrill laugh. Toby found Marley after a dizzying walk around tables and bodies; her hair was loose from her bun, sky-blue dress torn at the bodice with wads of pound notes ready to tumble out.

Toby looked at her face; her once bright eyes were foggy with alcohol and beginning to tear, lipstick smeared mouth let out another bout of laughter as she sat on a man's lap. The man was not all that old, a few streaks of white went through his pulled back auburn hair and wrinkles had only began to form on his face. He had a good build about him and spoke with an eloquence that wrapped around you, holding you tight with safety and love.

It was his eyes, snake eyes from a demon of Hell, which perturbed Toby. They shone quite brightly under the low lantern light, hungrily searching Marley's face; just waiting for the chance to have her by herself.

Toby frowned, mentally shaking his head as he walked forward to the pair, stopping when a very pudgy and ugly man barred his path. He had greasy russet hair and smelled worse than a decaying body in the sun doused in cologne, his pig eyes looked Toby up and down lecherously, Toby glared at him disdainfully having a clear idea what the man had on his mind. The man gave him a smile that look more like a smirk and said, "Judge Turpin is busy ma'am, you can have your turn later. On the other hand…you can spend your time with me, The Beetle of London," the man finishes this with a flourish of his left hand, adjusting a shabby top hat on his head.

Toby inwardly sighed; this was going to be a _long _night for him…

X

The sun barely broke through the clouds as Mrs. Lovett swung her shopping bag about, not caring if she hit a wandering priest or two. Her business was up never since her competition _disappeared, _Mr. Silver does very thorough work.

This thought made her giggle as shewalked deeper into the city; her butcher was two days late with her weekly supply of meat and she needed to make more to replace the moldy ones. She had met a man, a fine and dark man that made her heart beat like a drum.

He looked a lot older than he actually was but she guessed jail would do that to any man. She remembered when he was younger, "_He was even better back then!"_ she thought to herself as she purchased her goods, a dreamy smile upon her face.

He had a daughter, Julia or Jewel her name was…Johanna! That is what her name is, Mr. Todd raves and raves about her. She was taken in by Turpin, ironic since he was the one who raped her mother and made her mad. Mrs. Lovett pauses with that thought, head tilted questionably as she pulls at a lock of her already curly hair. _If I were to marry Mr. Todd…Does that mean I would have a daughter? I have always wanted a daughter; Ernest_, _bless__ his soul, could never give me one._

There was a thing that frightened her though, about Mr. Todd. He was so hell-bent on killing that damned judge and he might even push himself to the limit and then-_NO._ Nessie Lovett was not going to bother herself with thoughts like that, she was going to go home and cook for Mr. Todd as she always does. With a bounce in her step, Mrs. Lovett walked in the gray morning towards her shop, cheeks reddening as an 'Oh, Mr. Todd!' escapes her mouth. She called out once more as she went up the stair to his room and paled as she saw the bloody corpse on the floor.

Mt. Todd looked at her, dark eyes wide with excitement, "Well hello there Mrs. Lovett…" he glanced back down at the body, "I think I found I solution for your shortage of meat."

X

Toby had finally pulled Marley from the judges' grasp, he could still feel his glare on his back as he half-pulled/carried Marley out of the bar. Marley sang to herself as she stumbled ahead and struggled to walk a straight line. _She must be drugged; he probably used opium in her drink,_ thought Toby, _I wonder what would have happened if I were not with her._

He could still feel the man's rancid breath on his neck as Toby told him an intimate secret pertaining to a body part and handcuffs. Men were disgusting; he would have rather been born a woman than be grouped with _that_ gender.

"Marley…You know he's lying right?" he pulls Marley to face him, her eyes still glazed and wandering. "Marley! Listen to me; he going to rape you, did you know that? I heard he did that to a poor woman, making her go mad."

Toby shakes her violently, his hands probably bruising her forearms, trying to awake her from her stupor; it took a few moments before Marley's singing ceased and eyes focused. She smiled at him, a genuine and true grin, "Toby, you don't know him like I do…He actually cares, he said he'll protect us and give us _anything_ we want," she whispered.

Toby groans, "Damn it Marley! He's not Mr. Silver, none of them are! Can't you get that through your thick blonde head or is too scrambled by the drugs you get from them!" Marley whimpers, "Toby, you don't understand…He'll-"

"NO! I don't want to hear anymore of your excuses! I remember the last time I followed you with your bubble headed ideas. I can show you my scars from his whip or would yours help you comprehend what will happen to you." With that, Toby walked off, anger propelling his legs faster and faster down the shady streets. Marley's footfalls followed him, sounding into a sprint as she grabbed him from behind, causing him to stumble.

"Toby!" Marley sobbed, "I'm sorry…let's go to another bar. Maybe we could get some money-" she was cut off by the glare Toby sent her, full of venom and rage.

"_Marley"_, Toby drew out her name as if it hurt him, taking a breath to say his next words, "_Leave. Me. Alone._ I don't want to be anywhere near you, understand? You remind me of my mother…and those memories are not good. Go whore yourself to that judge, maybe he'll take you in still. Just leave me from any of your plans."

Marley only stared at Toby's receding back, blue eyes narrowing into slits. Her Toby left her…he promised her that he wouldn't. Marley rose from the ground, brushing the dirt off her dress and arranging her hair back into a neat bun. She set out for the Judge's house, a mission on her mind; Marley didn't like liars and she was prepared to take them off the world entirely. Her mother and Clare were both liars, Marley got rid of them quickly.

The same would be for Toby.


End file.
